Two Worlds; The Collision

Chapter 2

Sage Pov

“Sun?” I gritted my teeth, almost instantly distracted by the sound of her voice as the sting of Lottie’s spiked chain slapped against my cheek, cutting a shallow slit across the surface. “Oh no! Oh, crud! I’m sorry!” Falyn said, her amber-colored eyes wide as she dropped her book on the ground and stepped into the training circle.

Lottie let out a nervous chuckle, running her fingers through her long blond hair as her bright green eyes shifted back and forth, chewing on the bottom of her lip as I sat there feeling stupid on my ass in the middle of the dirt. “I’m…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you,” She stammered, yanking her whip back to her and wrapping it around her arm. “Crap, Queen Aislyn is going to skin me for hurting the future king,” She mumbled under her breath.

I sighed, shaking my curly gray hair out of my eyes, running my fingers through the sweaty strands with a cringe as the dirt of the training area got stuck in between the strands. I ignored Lottie, frustrated that all everyone ever cared about was my title, and focused on Falyn. Her long wavy dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swayed back and forth across her back as she ran to me, her mouth formed in a worried frown. She sat in front of me on the ground, her fingers absently lifting to find the star charm that sat on the chain around her neck, the necklace I got her for her birthday one year when we were younger. “It’s okay, Star. I know, it’s fine. It looks like I wasn’t keeping track of time, right? Is it time for the party?” I asked her softly, wiping a small tear from her cheek.

Normally, Falyn was a very mature, very strong girl, but when it came to me she was always worried. She hated it when I trained with the assassins, especially when I did it more than I needed to. Dad had a certain amount of training time I was allotted, but because I was to become the next king, there were more pressing matters to learn. Especially since the kingdoms were all in an alliance, have been for five years now, and there weren’t any drastic battles to come. After all, the five kingdoms were united as one. What kind of misfortune could possibly befall us? Even still, I hated being cooped up all the time. Stuck indoors, my nose buried in books, a proper scholar. I hated every bit of it, and I knew when I was fifteen, when I watched Jareth lay down his arms and become the Vampire King, that I needed to accept my future title with open arms. It didn’t mean, however, that I was happy about it. Though my mother, my father, Falyn, everyone I loved and cared about were relying on me to be the best me I could be, the first heir to be passed the title since my father killed his father and brother for the title and the freedom of everyone that was trapped inside the kingdom. I had to prove I was good enough, that they picked well. I had to prove to all of them I had what it took to be the best king I could be, and because of that, I needed to try harder. However, I couldn’t help but want to be a part of the clang of the steel against steel, the sweat of my body as I worked it past what it could handle, and the feel of the sword in my hand as I danced around the enemy. Not that it really mattered, because there weren’t any more enemies. Small criminals here and there that the assassins swiftly dealt with throughout the kingdoms. Even still…I couldn’t help but dream of more. An adventure, excitement, a destiny that was made just for me.

Falyn smiled at me, her hands on her hips as she chuckled under her breath, rolling her eyes at me. I did acquire some of my mother’s stubborn streak, but I was mostly like my father, quiet and watchful, keeping the peace and doing whatever was necessary despite what I felt deep in my heart. My father had been willing to watch the woman he had feelings for go to another if it was what she wanted, but when he found out she loved him as well, he was willing to forgo everything, to have her by his side. I had never met anyone that made me feel that strongly before, someone that made me want to throw everything that was expected of me away to run away with them. I was twenty now, and I was at the point in my life I’d never find them. Maybe I should start taking up my mother on her offer of finding a nice woman to settle down with, after all, I’ll be king soon. Father decreed twenty-two and I’d be ready, but he was starting to hint at me already being ready for it. I think he’s just waiting for me to get married and settle down first. It’s just…hard. The women my mother introduces me to are lovely, but I never feel anything. Shouldn’t I feel…something? Maybe I should just accept one and get it over with.

Falyn stood, her eyes piercing into mine as she grinned, holding out her hand to me to help me stand. I noticed Lottie disappeared, probably hyperventilating somewhere worried my mother was going to kill her. My father was really strict with my training schedule. To be a king, I had to have experience with weapons and knowledge of how to use all of them. Back when I was fifteen and under, I was trained to fight with vampires, before they signed the alliance, but that training stopped and honestly, most of my fighting training did as well. What was the point of training if the land was filled with peace? Despite that, I couldn’t stop the itching feeling to move, to train, to work out, to keep going. The feeling that there was something coming, that there was…more. “You nearly missed my party, Sun. Come on, everyone’s looking for you. I just assumed you’d be here and ran ahead. I’m surprised you’d be so brazen, anyone could come here and see you.” She said, clicking her tongue at me.

It’s not like my parents would beat me or anything, but they would be disappointed. When I trained too much, I was too exhausted for my studies with my mom and they noticed. A scholar first, after all, since that was the skill I was needing to learn. To be a king was more important than fighting, especially in a land where fighting wasn’t really required much anymore. “What they won’t know won’t hurt them, Star,” I said, accepting her hand but pushing myself up with my other hand. I wasn’t going to let my fifteen-year-old little sister try to strain herself lifting me. I gripped her hand in mine and surprised her by spinning her in a circle, her hair flying behind her as she let out a surprised giggle, before pressing my finger against her nose. “Well, let’s hurry,” I said with a smirk.

She pulled her hand out of mine and shoved me, shaking her head at me. “You need a bath, they’ll spot the dirt and sweat a mile away.” She said, her eyes filled with mischief as she held out her hand towards me once more. “Wanna race?” She asked, her lips curled into a knowing smile as she tilted her head back, challenging me.

I laughed out loud at her but nodded, a grin spreading over my face as she took off running without even waiting for a countdown. I shook my head at her, shoving my hair out of my icy blue eyes, and chased after her. It was a good thing the party was being held at Ana and Ren’s house, because that meant we had our house all to ourselves. Our race got both of us sweaty, so we went into our rooms and took showers. One of the amazing features my parents constructed from the dragon kingdom was the ability to use hot water and cold water with a simple turn of a knob, and a draining system that worked with a toilet as well. It was rumored that the dragon kingdom had found the blueprints from a book found from before the destruction, but the rumors were never always true, and it didn’t really matter anyway. Thankfully, we all had our own bathrooms, and it didn’t take long for both of us to be showered and dry, new clothes and ready to go. I strapped my sword onto my waist as usual, despite the way Falyn rolled her eyes at me as she slid her fingers through her drying hair. I walked behind her and swiftly tied her hair into a loose braid, making her giggle as I tied the end of it. “What’s the point of the sword, Sage? They’re just going to complain about it. It’s so unnecessary.” She grumbled, shaking her head at me.

I frowned, knowing she was right. I was half tempted to put it back, but I didn’t want to. The sword was a present from Jareth for my sixteenth birthday. He and Jaelyn had made it with fairy magic to form perfectly for me. It was supposed to always grow with me, no matter how strong or weak I got, it would work for me. The assassins were the only ones who really walked around with weapons now. The barracks were filled with weapons for the soldiers, but barely used. They still trained, just in case, but we were starting to become a world where the idea of always needing weapons wasn’t necessary, and the violence was slowly but surely dying down. I knew my father stopped carrying his swords, but he still kept a small dagger in his boot just in case. It was hard to stop being an assassin, even after so many years of retiring. It wasn’t the same for him. I knew it wasn’t, even still, I couldn’t help it. “I want to be able to protect myself, and you, if it comes to it,” I said simply, frowning down at my sword.

Falyn sighed, shaking her head at me as I walked softly next to her towards Ana’s house. She knew the basics, but she never cared about training unless my father decided to take her aside and work on where she was getting rusty. It rarely happens now, and it worries me. Another reason I tried to train as hard as I could when no one was looking or when I could beg one of the assassins to fight with me. I needed to be sharp, to always be on guard. I needed to always be able to protect her. “You have your element, you know. That should be enough protection.” She said with a shrug.

I rolled my eyes, gritting my teeth in frustration. “My element is useless, Falyn. Don’t mention it again.” I said, trying to be calm despite the anger racing through me. Another disappointment of mine. I was the first, after all. The very first elemental dragon, born from the mother of elements. Despite the fact that mother is a tribrid, being a witch, a dragon, and a shifter, her dragon side and father’s dragon genes were enough to knock out all of the others when it came to making me. I was fully dragon, though, of course, we were a new breed now. Those born of my mother’s blood would have an elemental power. I could still breathe fire, courtesy of my father, but from my mother, came my element. My useless, useless element. Such a disappointment. Everyone was so excited when I turned eighteen, my first time shifting into my dragon, only to be surprised. A dark purple color with a bluish tint to my scales, but on top of it…my element.

Falyn placed her hands on her hips, glaring at me. “Your element isn’t useless, Sage! At least you have one!” She said, glaring at me.

I threw my hands up in the air, rolling my eyes at her. “The ability to open a portal to any dimension, in any time. Tell me, Star, why is that important? And it only works once every two months! So if I decide one day I want to go meet my other self in another dimension, I’m stuck there for two months. Absolutely useless. Maybe in a time when the world was filled with battles, I could have…I don’t know…sucked the enemy into the portal or something, but in a land filled with peace? What can I do? It’s not even cool like Jaelyn, who can teleport between realms with her portals. I have to charge mine…for two freaking months. I’m sure your element will be amazing, Falyn.” I said to her with a sigh.

She frowned, patting my shoulder, before wrapping her arms around mine and hugging herself against me. “The Moon Goddess and God wouldn’t give you this element unless it was for a reason, Sun. Besides, yours is cooler than Jaelyn’s. She can only be here, or in the fairy realm. You can go anywhere, meet anyone, from any time. You can find different versions of yourself. How is that not cool? I think that’s worth a cooldown of two months. And as you said…it doesn’t matter what mine will be. The land is peaceful. Even if I had something cool like fire or water or such,” She said with a grin.

I chuckled at her, using my free hand to press my finger against her nose. “Your element will be speed, so you can read faster.” I teased her. She swatted my hand away as we stood in front of Ana’s house and sighed. “By the way, Falyn. Happy fifteenth birthday.” I said with a grin, pressing my lips against her forehead.

She grinned, shoving me slightly, fixing her hair. “Come on, I want cake.”